Rescue
by patricia51
Summary: Logan remembers what happened on the barge and after when he was been pulled from the river. Wolverine/Mystique. NOT romance but perhaps the beginnings of friendship.


Rescue by patricia51

(Logan remembers what happened on the barge and after when he was been pulled from the river. Wolverine/Mystique. NOT romance but perhaps the beginnings of friendship.)

(Present)

The Professor looked at him. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Drowning."

(1973)

God he had hurt. The same thing he had mentioned to the Professor and Kitty and the others in the future was painfully repeating itself over and over again. His body would knit together as he had said. He would drown and then he would heal as that happened. But because he was still underwater he would drown again and heal again and drown once more over and over even as the rebar thrust through him by Magneto still pierced him. It wasn't like forcing himself forward in Jean's destroying gaze where his body had been ripped as though by unseen claws before healing. That had been agonizing. This had been close though. Finally his body healed once more and then seemed to shut down. He had existed in some world of his own without being really conscious of anything

He had been in that world, only vaguely aware when the divers found him, worked the metal lift under him and fastened the chains. It was when he broke out into the sunshine that he started to regain awareness. As soon as he was on the deck of the barge his body rejected the metal piercings and forced it all out of him. Finally he choked, spitting up the water that had filled his lungs. Even then he was weak; as weak as he had ever been. He barely heard the conversation near him.

"What do you want us to do with him Major Stryker?"

Stryker? Oh no. The memories were all confused now, memories of the man in Paris intermingled with the older hate-filled man that he would become and what he would subject Logan, albeit with his permission. Sort of. Those experiments had not been performed yet, as he had discovered when he extended his claws when he first was returned to this time and found they were his original bone ones. Of course. He hadn't been through the particular hell yet.

Did he want to go through it again? Regain his adamantium claws and skeleton? But...

He had been told that when he woke up whatever changes he had made would take effect and change history. What he didn't know, hadn't thought of, were a few now worrisome things. Where exactly would he wake up? When? Since hopefully they wouldn't be at some Chinese monastery waiting for the Sentinels to attack would the wake up be wherever his future body was at the same distance in the future? And, most important to his situation, how would he know here and now if he HAD woken up or not? Was he still on his mission or had history already been changed? And if so, would being taken by Stryker lead to anything good? Somehow though he knew his future consciousness had returned to its starting point. Why he had no clue but he was certain.

"I'll take him from here."

He should get out of here NOW. But his body had been weakened by what it had been through and even as he came to full consciousness it was too late. The soldiers with the mutant-hating Major had already clamped chains to him that even his strength could not break. He considered trying but then decided to remain quiet and act unaware. He would wait for an opportunity to catch his captor off-guard.

He stayed still as the boat, barge, whatever docked and he was loaded into the back of a truck. He noticed by making quick peeks through barely opened eyelids that it was not a military vehicle but rather one marked "Trask Industries". No one stayed in there with him. Making as little noise as possible he tested his chains. No good. Stryker's voice rang out from outside.

"You drive the truck. I'll ride with you and keep an eye on the test subject. The rest of you take the car and follow us. Keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual."

"Where are we going sir?"

"Right now Sergeant you don't have the need to know. Just follow the truck."

"Yes sir."

Doors slammed and the truck shifted back and forth as someone got in the cab. Two someones judging by the door closings. That just cut the odds down a lot. Stryker spoke again.

"Drive carefully. Don't doing anything to draw attention to us. I'll give you the route as we go."

"Yes sir."

As he had told the Professor patience was not exactly his strong suit. But then everyone who knew him for longer than five minutes knew that as well. He managed though, carefully breathing in and out and keeping his mind busy examining various scenarios for escape. He paid little attention to the low murmur of directions from the front until he heard one sharp command.

"Pull into this alleyway. Drive down about half-way and stop."

"But Major Stryker!"

"That's an order soldier."

"Yes sir."

The truck slowed and turned. In less than half a minute it stopped.

"What now sir?"

"Sergeant!" Stryker called loudly. "Have one of your men open the roll-up garage door on the left." His voice lowered. Logan realized he must be talking to the truck driver beside him. "As soon as it's open pull in and shut the truck down."

A chain that must have been half rusted squealed and creaked. So did the door. The truck lurched as it turned and then the rumbling diesel died.

"Okay, out."

Doors opened. Stryker gathered his soldiers right behind the truck.

"Okay. Private, you go with the others. Sergeant, back to post. Turn the vehicle in and report back to your unit. Remember, everything about this is classified. But you've done a good job."

"Sir?"

"Sergeant a private outfit officially not connected to the government will be arriving soon and will assist me to transport the subject to the lab where he will be studied. This way no one can connect the Army to it. Hit the road. I'll be fine."

Straining his ears Logan heard the sedan leave. After a few minutes of quiet the back of the truck opened. He feigned being unconscious again.

"Oh for crying out loud Wolverine you've been awake since shortly after you were pulled out of the bay. Quit pretending. And goofing off. I don't expect those guys back but sooner or later someone is going to get curious about what happened to you so let's not be anywhere near here when it happens."

The voice! It wasn't Stryker's. He had heard it before but more importantly than that was the fact it was a woman's voice. His eyes popped open. In front of him was Stryker, wearing a cocky grin. The image shifted, as though a series of tiles were being turned over and Mystique stood there. She shifted again into an attractive young blonde woman in a sweater, skirt and boots.

"Mystique? What are you doing here?"

"Getting you away from all the nosey people who want to know more about you. And us." She started unlocking his chains. "And call me Raven."

He kept an eye on her but she did nothing more than release him and then sat back on her heels.

"So, did you kill Trask?"

"No. Charles talked me out of it; by leaving the decision up to me." She looked rueful. "I suppose I still do have a better side to appeal to." She brightened. "I DID shoot Erik. Magneto that is. But then after all he shot me." She went on to tell him about the rest of the fight. "Oh and then there's this."

"What?"

"The paper that came out while you were goofing off." She retrieved it from the front seat and showed it to him.

"Hmmm. So Trask has been arrested and you're a hero."

"Yeah, well, don't believe everything you read," she replied as she rooted under the truck's seat, producing a coat and hat.

"I don't."

"Good. Put these on."

"What is this, a bush hat? Makes me look like an Australian."

"What it doesn't do is make you look like Wolverine."

"Logan."

"What?"

"Logan. It's my name."

"Oh, okay. Logan."

The pair exited the building, turning down the way they had come in. When Logan raised an eyebrow Raven shrugged.

"If any one is looking they'll expect us to going away from the route we took getting here."

Darkness finally settled in. By then they were well away from D.C. and heading north in a car they had "borrowed". Raven, Logan found he was thinking more and more of her by that name, had found himself actually teasing her about her car-theft skills. She had just grinned.

He had dozed off when the car came to a halt and the engine was switched off.

"What's going on?"

"We're near Philadelphia. This is as far as I go. You can head up to New York and the school. Please do. Charles is going to need your help."

"Come with me."

She shook her head. "You don't know how much I want to do just that. But first I have to do some thinking, some wandering on my own. Just me. But I'll be there one day. Tell Charles that I love him, that he will always be my brother. And tell Hank..." she hesitated.

"Tell him what?"

"Tell him I'll be seeing him. I hope he'll wait for me."

Logan smiled. "I'm sure he will. The way he talked about you; he's definitely smitten."

"I left him once before. But I'll be coming home and it's where he is." She opened the car door. He slid behind the wheel and looked at her.

"Once more Raven. Why?"

"You said I was a cold-hearted bitch. You said I was knee-deep in human and mutant blood." Suddenly she looked very young and scared. "Wolverine, I'm sorry Logan, I don't want to be that person. I want justice for the mutants that Trask experimented on; I want acceptance for all mutants. But I don't want to be a killer. Charles is right. There's a better way. Oh and if you ever have trouble with the real Stryker put the word out for me. I kicked his ass twice, I can do it again." She kissed him on the cheek and then she was gone.

(Present)

Charles smiled. "I had wondered. She has never really has talked about that time very much."

"So she DID come back?"

"Oh my yes. She's come and gone several times although she stopped her wandering ways some time ago. In fact... Raven!"

Logan turned in his chair. An obviously older but still blonde and still beautiful woman peeked in. Then Logan's jaw dropped for braced on one hip was an adorable little girl. Even as he watched the blonde tyke flickered slightly to turn blue like her... mother? But along with the blue skin was some blue fur. He grinned.

"Yes Charles?"

"Raven would you and Chelsea be dears and get the kitchen to send us the coffee service? I'm afraid the two of us are going to be here most of the day. And could you possibly take Logan's classes?"

"Of course. I'll just take Chelsea to the day care. Say bye-bye sweetie."

The little tot smiled. "Bye-bye Uncle Charles." The she really floored Logan. "Bye-bye Uncle Logan."

Charles laughed in delight at Logan's stunned expression. "She and Hank have three of them. Chelsea there is the youngest."

"I'm glad."

"So then, continue with your story Logan. I am fascinated."

"It was a fascinating time." He hitched his chair to one side of the massive desk and his friend's chair floated beside him. The coffee was duly delivered and the pair settled in for that long talk.

"After Raven left I started north but of course things are never that easy," Logan began.

"Of course not," Charles grinned again.

"Anyway..."

The door stayed closed all day and into the evening. There was a lot of catching up to be done.

(The End)

(Note: Logan's words to Raven "You're a cold hearted bitch" and her original reply "Well don't hold back" appear in one of the movie's trailers and are part of a larger deleted scene which includes Logan's remarks about her wading in human and mutant blood.)


End file.
